Once Tempted

by Laura Moore

  He’d managed to glean bits and pieces of information about her marriage to David, enough to grasp that it had soured very quickly. And then there’d been his illness, a cancer of the brain that she learned about only after he had called her from the hospital. But she often remained tightly guarded when it came to talking about her ex-husband.

  Like now.

  A flush had stolen over her cheeks. “You’re right. No one is without fault.”

  He looked at her, her hair a tangled mass about her shoulders, her breasts soft and round and just the right size for his large hands. As he gazed at her, the dusky rose of her aureoles puckered, her nipples hardening into delectable buds.

  “I don’t know about that,” he said, smiling slowly. “From my vantage point you look perfect.” Inside and out, he added silently. He’d learned his lesson with Erica. Looks didn’t matter if he couldn’t admire the character within.

  She gave a quick shake of her head and lowered her gaze. “I’m not perfect at all. Far from it. There are a lot of things I’ve done that I regret. Don’t put me on a pedestal.”

  He leaned closer, put a finger under her chin to lift it, and was taken aback by her troubled eyes.

  “Okay,” he said and touched his lips to hers in a light, soothing kiss that was all too brief.

  She drew back and though she managed a smile he sensed the effort behind it. It frustrated him that he had no clue what in her past could cause her such unease and cast such a shadow.

  Before he could probe for answers, Tess swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood to gather her jeans, sweater, and underthings.

  He glanced at his watch. It was just past six o’clock. “Do you want to grab some dinner?” They could talk then.

  She shook her head. “I’ll get something later. First I’ve got to call my mom before it’s too late back east. Christopher had a dentist’s appointment today and that’s always rough for them both. His teeth aren’t good but he can’t be fully anesthetized because of his meds.”

  “You can call her from here, you know. I’ll go to another room so you can have some privacy.”

  “Thanks, but no. I’ll call her from my office. I’ve got some work to do.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re going back to do more for the wedding.” At her quick nod, he frowned. “You’re kidding. You’ve gone over every vendor, every appointment, menu, floral arrangement, and table setting, every minuscule detail—”

  “And something tells me that your ex-fiancée is going to be a whole lot more exacting about all of them than Carrie and Brian could ever be.”

  “I don’t see how it’d be possible to find fault. You’ve worked your butt off for this wedding.”

  “What kind of events planner would I be if I didn’t? Look, I don’t know Carrie and Brian as well as you do, but I like them, and I don’t want their weekend here to be stressful because I haven’t anticipated something that Erica might point out that would make their wedding even better. I want them totally confident that this is the wedding they want—doubts can set in too easily otherwise.”

  “You don’t need to work on it tonight, though—”

  She cut him off with a quick shake of her head. “Yeah, I do. This is my job, what you’re paying me for.”

  In the course of the conversation she’d somehow managed to put on her matching red panties and bra, trimmed with black lace. It was like a reverse strip tease. Unfortunately he’d been so distracted by the conversation he hadn’t been able to enjoy the sight of her shimmying into the scraps of lace and silk. He realized it showed how much he cared. To date he’d yet to behold Tess in her sexy lingerie without becoming 100 percent focused on getting her underneath or on top of him as quickly as possible.

  He rose to his feet and walked over to her. Bringing his hands up, he gently pushed back her tangled hair, tucking her bangs behind her ears before cupping her face and kissing her deeply, thoroughly. At last he felt her tension seep away.

  “Thank you,” he said huskily.

  This time her smile came more easily. “You can thank me once we get through this weekend.”

  TESS AWOKE FRIDAY morning with eyes grittier than a sandlot and a brain that felt shrink-wrapped from staring at her computer screen for too many hours the night before as she reviewed websites and studied her notes.

  Oh Lord, she was really not looking forward to this day, she thought as she walked up the path from her cabin to the lodge. But there was no way to avoid it. She’d simply have to put imaginary blinkers on and pretend that Ward’s ex-fiancée wasn’t there. The entire weekend was supposed to be about the engaged couple and ensuring she was organizing the wedding they truly wanted. She couldn’t waste the finite number of hours she had with Brian and Carrie obsessing about what had made Ward fall in love with Erica Marsh. Or comparing herself to Erica.

  She needed to remind herself that she and Ward had a very defined relationship, composed of two essential ingredients: great sex and a good time. No complications allowed. Expecting Ward to announce his eternal devotion and ask her to live happily ever after with him ventured into forbidden territory.

  Her head understood this. She simply had to convince her foolish heart to get with the program. The problem was that with each passing day her heart grew fuller with everything that was Ward: his passion, his smile, his fierce tenderness …

  She was almost at the front entrance to the lodge when a voice came out of nowhere, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

  “That’s some stern look you’ve got on your face, city girl.”

  “Quinn! You scared the daylights out of me.”

  Standing with her shoulder propped against the timbered wall of the lodge, Quinn straightened. “You walked right past me. Sorry I scared you, though I guess it’s appropriate to be scared since I’m about to abduct you. Come on, we’re going into town.”

  “I wish I could, but I’ve got—”

  “See, that’s the thing about being abducted. You don’t really have any say over the matter. This way, Tess,” she said. “The getaway car awaits.”

  Tess knew herself to be pretty scrappy when the occasion called for it, but she was under no illusion that she could best Quinn, who could toss hay bales like they were pillows.

  Quinn cocked her hip. “I only have to whistle and Reid will be out here as extra reinforcement. And Mom knows all about the intervention, so don’t try any lines about not wanting to disappoint her.”

  She wondered where this so-called intervention was supposed to take place. There were no clues to be had from Quinn’s appearance. She was dressed in her usual work attire: faded jeans that molded her long legs, cowboy boots, and a crew neck sweater over a T-shirt. Her blond hair was pulled back in a knot at the nape of her neck. The outfit might be casual, but a woman who looked like Quinn could get away with wearing it to a Park Avenue Fortune 500 company boardroom meeting or dinner at Per Se.

  Seeing that those places were three thousand miles away, their destination was more likely the general store’s luncheonette or perhaps Spillin’ the Beans. Grabbing a plateful of scrambled eggs or slugging a triple-shot latte suddenly sounded appealing. She could use some extra energy today.

  “Okay. Where are you taking me? And can we take my car?” She loved her new car. It was so zippy and cute. Even better, it never coughed or wheezed.

  “Sorry, but no. Time is of the essence.” Victorious, Quinn grinned and looped her arm through Tess’s, marching her toward her red pickup truck, which was parked on the other side of the courtyard, pointing down the graveled drive. “And our destination is Ava Day’s salon.”

  “But why? I’ve already arranged for her to come to the ranch this afternoon to do a consultation and makeup session with Carrie.”

  Quinn shook her head. “This isn’t for Carrie. It’s for you. We have a nine o’clock appointment. Mom and I are treating you to a facial, blow out, and mani.”

  Tess dug in her heels. “Quinn, I can’t be gone tha
t long—”

  Quinn was as strong as she looked, and physics was on her side, her forward momentum propelling Tess along. “Oh, yes you can. Ward told me how you went back to work last night. You’re more than prepared. What you need is some pampering so that you’re refreshed. And looking your best. Especially now that Erica’s coming,” she added under her breath.

  Great. Just what she needed: Independent confirmation that Erica spelled trouble for the Brian and Carrie–centric weekend. To make it worse, Quinn had added a whopping dollop of worry that Tess would come up short in the looks department, too. She would have loved to be the rare individual who could rise above such superficial concerns—more like Quinn, who was indifferent to her beauty—but unfortunately she was as insecure as most women when it came to the daily low-level beauty pageants they participated in with one another.

  A very thin veneer of silver could be gleaned in the gloomy, ominous cloud that was Erica Marsh. Since Quinn had mentioned Erica, Tess didn’t have to embarrass herself by being the one to bring up the topic of Ward’s ex-fiancée. “So, what’s up with Erica coming here?”

  They’d reached the pickup truck, and Quinn walked Tess around to the passenger’s side. Opening the door, she swept the Western tack catalogs and leashes lying on the front seat to the floor, clearing a small, dog-hair-covered space for Tess. Tess glanced at her off-white skirt and groaned inwardly. This day wasn’t going at all as planned.

  “I don’t know. Really, I can’t figure her out. You know those sorts of people whose motivations just seem so out there, almost incomprehensible, because they’re so radically different from your own? That’s the way it is with Erica. I love Ward like anything, and it was awful to see how hurt he was when Erica called off the engagement—though he did his best to hide it, stoic macho dude that he is—but between you and me and the dashboard I’ll say it. I am so glad that Erica didn’t become a part of our family. She’s beautiful, smart, talented, and a user. She spent all this time with Ward and never cared enough to understand him.” Her voice was laced with disgust. “I have to stop talking about her or it will ruin my day.”

  Quinn circled around the hood of the truck and climbed in to the driver’s seat. “Hop inside, or we’ll be late for Ava.”

  Tess stared again at the seat in dismay and made an attempt to brush off the animal hairs clinging to the fabric upholstery, but gave up when they only floated in the air to resettle in essentially the same spots. Her own car was as neat inside as outside.

  Stifling a sigh, she climbed into the truck and tried to block a mental image of a thousand and one black and brown dog hairs affixing themselves to her rear.

  If she had to choose, though, she’d pick worrying about being covered in dog hair over the prospect of dealing with Ward’s ex-fiancée any day of the week.

  It was a testament to Ava Day’s skills as an aesthetician that Tess’s worries and fear receded during her deluxe pampering session. Seated in adjacent chairs, she and Quinn had tremendous fun ribbing each other and letting Ava and her assistant Ricki fill them in on town gossip.

  When Tess voiced astonishment that Quinn was getting her hair and nails done, Quinn had laughed. “You aren’t the only one who needs to be well armed to confront Erica, city girl. With just a look she can make me feel like something Pirate dragged in.”

  Recalling some of the gruesome carcasses she’d seen Quinn’s cat parade around with in his mouth, Tess felt the latte Ricki had fetched for her from Spillin’ the Beans shift uncomfortably in her stomach.

  Before Tess could respond to that depressing bit of information, Quinn continued. “You know, I think it may be time I quit calling you ‘city girl’ now that you not only can feed Alberta and Hennie and the rest of the goat gang without looking like you’re about to faint from fear, but you’re also proving your chops as a rider. By all reports you did a fine job on Brocco. We’re all real proud of you. We might even succeed in turning you into a cowgirl.”

  Tess locked eyes with her in the oversized mirror in front of them. “Ever heard the Italian expression ‘L’anno del mai e il mese del poi’?”

  Quinn grinned as she repeated it in a fairly decent accent. “No. Can’t say I have.”

  “Translated, it means, ‘The year of never and the month of then.’ ”

  “You are so deep, CG. Around here we like to remind stubborn mules like you to never say never. Oh, and when Erica starts in on you—and I’m willing to bet my saddle she will once she figures out you and Ward are an item, which will take her all of about thirty seconds—just remember, we’re on your side, pal.”

  That Quinn liked her and considered her more than just someone who worked at her family’s ranch moved her beyond words. Tess recalled the loneliness she’d felt upon arriving in Acacia, her sense of disorientation. She’d come a long way. Not only was she accepted and liked, but she also recognized how much she admired the Knowleses and everyone at Silver Creek Ranch for trying to preserve the land and the way of life they loved. Quite a discovery for a girl born and bred in Queens, New York.

  To her dismay, Tess discovered shortly that the best facial and complimentary neck massage in the world could relax someone only so much.

  “Holy crap. What are they doing here already? Their plane must have landed early,” Quinn whispered loudly as they entered the main lodge.

  Tess followed the direction of her gaze. It took all her years of working with La Dolce Vita’s demanding New York clientele to maintain her easy smile when she walked into the lounge and saw the woman sitting next to Ward on the sofa.

  Erica Marsh was beautiful. A flaxen-haired princess to Ward’s dark prince charming, they made a perfect match.

  Erica’s identity was obvious. After the numerous FaceTime chats Tess had conducted with Brian and Carrie, she instantly recognized the couple on the loveseat perpendicular to Ward and Erica. Plus, they were holding hands … whereas Erica was sitting close enough to Ward that her straight blond hair brushed his shoulder when she turned her head at the sound of her and Quinn’s approach.

  Another muscle in Tess’s neck reknotted. Erica had azure blue eyes reminiscent of a quiet sea at night.

  Ward was already on his feet. “Here they are now,” he said and stepped forward to meet them with as relieved a smile as she’d ever seen on his face. “Tess, I’d like to introduce you in person to Brian and Carrie. Their plane landed early. And this is Erica Marsh, Carrie’s stepsister.”

  While she and Quinn exchanged hellos with the trio, Ward positioned himself next to Tess so that she was flanked by two Knowleses. The show of support would have helped if she weren’t so very conscious of being inspected by Ward’s ex-fiancée. She wondered how many dog hairs were sticking to her skirt and felt another muscle tighten.

  Focus, she reminded herself. She turned to Carrie. “How great that you arrived early. Quinn and I were just in town at Ava Day’s Salon. She’s so looking forward to meeting you to discuss your hair and makeup and what services your bridal party would like.”

  “Oh, Carrie, I was hoping you would use the Mercer Street salon, where I go,” Erica interjected. “I told my stylist, Nicole, that I was sure you would.”

  Carrie flushed. “Yes, I know you mentioned her to me but—”

  “But Ava is right in town and while Nicole does superb work, she was going to have to charge Carrie to make the trip up here. Carrie wanted to keep the expenses down so that she could offer a spa package to you and Brian’s sister in addition to your hair and makeup,” Tess said.

  “Of course, that’s fine. It was simply an idea I had.” Erica’s smile could be described only as angelic. “I do so want you to look beautiful.”

  Tess soon learned this was Erica’s favorite MO, to smile as she thrust the verbal dagger home. Because of the sweetness of her expression, it took a moment for her victim to realize what had happened. Carrie, who actually was sweet—though a bit unworldly given her fascination with far-flung galaxies—was no match for her.


  While the group finished the coffee and biscotti that Gordon had served them, and Tess went over the schedule of appointments for the afternoon, Erica alternated between chatting brightly with Ward and undermining Carrie’s choices for her wedding. Wasn’t a DJ a better choice than a band? Was Carrie sure the navy bridesmaids dresses she’d selected would coordinate well with her own bridal dress? She was exceptionally good at slipping comments into a conversation when Ward’s attention was diverted by Brian so that neither man witnessed the damage she was inflicting. Tess deflected them as much as possible, politely defending Carrie’s choices. The game was tiresome, Erica alone enjoying it.

  Weirdly enough, Tess was actually relieved when Erica decided to include her in her well-aimed barbs. It gave Carrie a reprieve. And Tess was better equipped to deal with Erica’s subtle and not-so-subtle digs.

  Erica’s decision to shift the focus of her cutting remarks was at first surprising. Then not so much. And when Tess understood what was going on—what Erica really wanted out of the weekend—she knew the under-the-radar attacks would eventually escalate.

  The first of the day’s appointments was with Roo and Jeff for a tasting of the menus. It wasn’t scheduled for another hour, so Brian asked Ward to show them the newest additions to the ranch.

  They walked down to the barns. It was a beautiful spring day, in the low fifties. The grass had already turned a bright green. Masses of daffodils danced in the light breeze. Steve, one of the gardeners who tended the plants and shrubs around the main lodge, had told Tess that any day now the cherry trees would burst into bloom.

  Tess was walking next to Carrie, pointing to the wide expanse of lawn where the wedding tent for the dinner would be, with a dance floor set up just outside of it near the gardens, which would be in full bloom. If rain was in the forecast, the tent could be enlarged with extra pieces to protect the dancers and the band. Every now and again, Tess would catch snatches of Erica and Ward’s conversation. Except for that brief moment when Ward had been introducing Tess to them, Erica hadn’t left his side. From the way she let her arm casually brush his as she chattered animatedly one would never guess she’d jilted Ward.